Alex Palou sits down with Hinch and Rossi to talk sim prep, sports-car learning, and the highs and chaos of IndyCar. He breaks down a tough Phoenix weekend and a restart crash where he admits it was his mistake—spotter calls weren’t the issue. Between that and his Sebring experience as a “bonus” driver, Palou explains how traffic and decision-making in IMSA sharpen his racing. He also raves about Arlington’s execution and previews Barber, while discussing IndyCar’s growing momentum and the relentless May schedule.
Álex Palou joins us for the first time, in an actual episode at least, to talk about his season so far, how it feels to be a defending Indy 500 and Series champ, the trajectory of IndyCar, and more!
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"What's my deal? I saved that Metro with no activation fees. I got one line of 5G for just $25 a month... Only a Metro by T-Mobile."
Metro by T-Mobile is a phone plan service. They’re talking about a deal where your monthly price stays the same for a while.
Metro by T-Mobile is a wireless prepaid service brand. It’s known for straightforward monthly pricing and promotions like price guarantees, which is what the speakers are discussing.
Term
5G
"I got one line of 5G for just $25 a month, kept the phone I love, and a five-year price guarantee for my talk text and data."
5G is a faster type of cell-phone internet. They’re saying the plan includes 5G data.
5G is the latest generation of cellular network technology, designed to provide faster data speeds and lower latency than older networks. In the context of the segment, it’s being used to describe the data included in the phone plan.
"and a five-year price guarantee for my talk text and data. Only $25? I'm going to Metro when we hop off... Price guarantee, exceptions apply."
A price guarantee means your monthly cost is supposed to stay the same for a while. They also warn that there are exceptions.
A price guarantee is a promise that the monthly cost won’t increase for a set period, subject to stated exceptions. The segment highlights a multi-year guarantee and notes that there are conditions.
"Just bring your number. $30 for a smolt and $25 after with AutoPay."
AutoPay is an automatic payment setup where your bill is paid automatically each month. The speakers mention it because it affects the monthly price they’re quoting.
"So I mean, so you were simming today before you came to see us and are you allowed to tell us"
Simming is when a driver practices using a racing video game or simulator. It helps them learn a track and practice driving lines without being on track in a real car.
“Simming” means practicing in a racing simulator (PC/console) rather than driving a real car. Drivers use it to learn tracks, refine braking/turn-in points, and stay sharp between races.
"Alex, you're fresh off of Sebring. Yeah. Sixth place finish at Sebring, probably not what you guys were hoping for, but how was your 12 hours?"
Sebring is an endurance race that lasts about 12 hours. Drivers take turns, and the goal is to stay fast and keep the car running for the whole event.
“12 hours at Sebring” refers to the endurance race held at Sebring International Raceway, where teams rotate drivers and manage tire, fuel, and car reliability over long stints. Strategy and consistency matter as much as outright speed.
"Then being the third driver, like not knowing much the car. I mean, I know it. I've been like two years already with this car, but it's just like it's not my everyday car. Right. And then during practice..."
In endurance races, teams use multiple drivers. A “third driver” is the extra driver who takes some stints, often needing to get up to speed fast and drive consistently.
In endurance racing, a “third driver” is the additional team member who shares driving duties across stints. Their job often includes learning the car quickly, adapting to the team’s setup, and managing traffic while staying consistent.
"And then during practice, like you're sharing with Renger and Nick, and they are obviously the priority, right? It's their car. They need to set it up the way they want to race. And I'm just there to try and help."
Car setup is how the team adjusts the car to make it handle the way they want. Different drivers can like the car to feel a certain way, so the team tunes it for them.
“Car setup” is the set of adjustments (like suspension, aero balance, and tire pressures) that determines how a race car behaves. Different drivers may prefer different balance, so teams often tailor setup to the primary drivers’ style.
"So then I did like, I don't know, 20 laps during practice, which is like trying to figure out the traffic and this car and every on the track and everything."
In races, you’re not always driving alone. “Traffic” means other cars on track, including slower cars, and you have to pass or work around them without losing time or getting in trouble.
“Traffic” in racing means navigating slower cars, lapped traffic, and mixed-speed traffic during a stint. Managing traffic well is crucial for maintaining lap times without compromising safety or causing position swings.
"The Porsches were on another leak, but had a couple issues on the pit stops and finish six."
Pit stops are scheduled stops in the pits to service the car—typically for tires, fuel, and sometimes repairs. In racing strategy, the timing and execution of pit stops can determine track position and overall finishing result.
"The bombs in one, 17, after five laps, I was, let's say already around the lap times, like not saying the fastest."
Lap time is just how quickly you can do one full lap around the track. If you’re close to a good lap time, you’re in the ballpark even if you’re not the quickest.
Lap times are how long it takes to complete one circuit, and they’re the primary metric for performance in practice and qualifying. Drivers often describe being “around” a certain lap time to indicate they’re in a competitive window even if they aren’t fastest.
"...and, uh, and, you
[762.7s] know, again, a DNF for Alex Polo, that's like, that's headline winning races is
[767.0s] almost like the subtitle now for you."
DNF means the driver didn’t finish the race. Something went wrong—either an accident or a car problem—so they couldn’t complete the full distance.
DNF stands for “Did Not Finish.” In racing, it means the driver couldn’t complete the event due to an issue like a crash, mechanical failure, or other incident.
"So I spoke to Renus, like I apologize because I think it was, uh, uh, it was a racing incident in my opinion."
Calling it a “racing incident” means the driver believes the contact was a result of normal racing risk rather than deliberate wrongdoing. In motorsport, this framing can matter for how teams and officials interpret responsibility and whether penalties are considered.
"Like, uh, and it was not, again, it was not because of the spotter. There was a lot of people saying, Oh, for sure. The spotter didn't tell Alex."
A spotter is someone on the team who watches the race from a different angle and tells the driver what’s happening. They can warn about cars nearby, but the driver still has to react and drive.
A spotter is a crew member who watches the track and communicates traffic, hazards, or positioning to the driver. In open-wheel racing, the spotter helps the driver avoid incidents, but the driver still has to execute correctly in fast-changing situations.
"...you're getting past and you're fighting with somebody on the inside, on the outside, and you're understeering, but at the same time..."
Understeering is when the front wheels don’t grip enough. Instead of turning in, the car pushes straight ahead.
Understeer happens when the front tires lose grip before the rear, so the car turns less than you expect. Drivers often feel it as the car “plowing” toward the outside of the corner.
"These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to progressive and save hundreds because progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more."
Progressive sells car insurance. They’re saying you might save money if you qualify for their discount programs.
Progressive is an auto insurance company mentioned for driver discounts. The ad highlights savings tied to factors like paying in full and bundling/home ownership, plus customer service.
"No man, like it's a first, first time event. First, first time that we do that track, first time that, uh, somebody in Arlington..."
They’re saying it was the first time that race was held there. When it’s new, teams have to learn the track and plan for things they haven’t dealt with before.
A “first time event” means the series is running at that track/venue for the first time. New venues often require teams to adapt quickly to unfamiliar track characteristics and logistics.
"...seeing the big grandstands all like labeled or like branded as GPR, LinkedIn, Indica was like, man, we've never had that."
They mention LinkedIn because it was part of the branding at the track. Companies often sponsor races and put their name on parts of the venue.
LinkedIn is being referenced as a brand displayed on the grandstands at the Arlington venue. In modern motorsports, corporate branding is a major part of event funding and visibility.
"...And then the, the, the attendance, the fans, I, I expected that it was going to be"
They’re talking about how many people showed up and what the crowd was like. In racing, that matters because it affects the whole vibe and the business side of the event.
“Attendance” and “the fans” are being discussed as key measures of how successful the weekend was. In motorsports, fan turnout affects atmosphere, sponsor value, and the long-term viability of hosting a venue.
"when I, you know, when I stopped racing Indy car, the, the first time that I was like really feeling missing being in the car was that first Indy 500."
IndyCar is a professional open-wheel racing series in the U.S. Drivers race specialized cars on different types of tracks like ovals and road courses.
“Indy car” refers to open-wheel racing in the IndyCar Series, which uses purpose-built race cars and competes on a mix of ovals, road courses, and street circuits. The series has its own car rules, race formats, and culture distinct from other open-wheel categories.
"When I did the track walk, I was like, dude, they have, this place looks so good. Was the track as much fun to drive as it was from still fun because I love it."
A track walk is when the driver goes around the track on foot to get a feel for it. It helps them notice details they’ll use when they’re driving fast.
A track walk is when drivers walk the circuit (often before race weekend) to study surface changes, sightlines, braking zones, and how the track feels at walking speed. It helps drivers connect what they see on maps/sim to real-world cues for driving.
"Like the grip was not very high. And normally that just makes it feel really bad as a driver."
Grip is how well the tires can “hold on” to the road. If grip is low, the car can feel slippery or harder to control, especially in corners.
Grip is how much traction the tires have with the track surface. When grip is low, the car can slide more easily, which usually makes driving feel less precise and more demanding.
"Is it, where does it rank on all the street courses you've raised on? Number one street courses, number one."
A street course is a race track made from regular city streets. Because it’s tight and has walls close by, driving and passing are usually more intense than on a normal race circuit.
A street course is a temporary racing circuit built on public roads, typically with narrow lanes, concrete walls, and limited runoff. These features change how drivers approach braking, tire management, and passing compared with purpose-built tracks.
"And I got overtaking for the lead. Like it's not that it was like one of those where I'm like, yeah, I did this."
“Overtaking for the lead” means passing cars when it matters most—right near the front. On street tracks, it’s harder because the track is narrow and you can’t make big mistakes.
“Overtaking for the lead” refers to passing other cars in positions where track position is crucial—often requiring strong braking, good traction out of corners, and enough straight-line length to attempt moves. Street circuits can be especially challenging because walls and tight turns limit mistakes.
"You talked about getting passed for the lead. Uh, tell me about that pass because you want to, I think God team had another question, go ahead, Tim."
“Passed for the lead” means someone overtook to take first place. On a street circuit, that usually takes perfect timing and good traction out of turns.
“Getting passed for the lead” (and the related discussion of a “pass”) is about overtaking maneuvers where drivers challenge for first place rather than just position. On street circuits, these passes often depend on braking points, traction out of corners, and timing—especially when traffic and tire condition are factors.
"Like does somebody has suddenly a ton of, uh, pace, like, I don't know, I'm ready on both, uh, different tracks that we've been to."
In racing, “pace” is basically how fast you are. It can change if the car is set up better or if tires work better than expected.
“Pace” in racing means how quickly a driver/car can run over a stint or lap, often reflecting tire condition, aerodynamic balance, and overall setup. When the speaker wonders if someone has “suddenly a ton of pace,” they’re talking about a potential performance jump relative to the field.
"I mean, you're in it. You're one of the stars, you're the defending champion. You've got your commercials playing in the Superbowl."
A defending champion is the person who won the championship last year and is trying to win again this year. It usually means they’re the one everyone watches.
A defending champion is the driver who won the previous season’s championship and is competing again to retain the title. In motorsport, that status often comes with heightened expectations and more media attention.
"I feel like the first year doesn't count because it was like COVID and I cannot really say how much it evolved because we had no fans on the stands..."
COVID was the pandemic that changed how sports events were run. For racing, it often meant fewer or no fans in the stands, so the experience and growth were different.
COVID refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted live sports worldwide. In motorsport, restrictions often meant reduced or no spectators, affecting atmosphere, revenue, and how the sport could “evolve” in public perception.
"that Fox has put in, like the ratings on the first three races, I don't understand anything about ratings or the share and all the numbers, but it looks good."
Ratings are basically how many people are watching the races on TV. If the numbers look good, it usually means the series is getting more attention.
“Ratings” refers to how many viewers a broadcast gets for each race. In motorsports, higher ratings can translate into more sponsor interest and better media coverage for the series.
"How much are you looking forward to May going back as the defending race winner? It's a lot busier, I imagine."
It means you won that race last time, and now you’re coming back to try to win again. People will expect you to be strong because you’ve already done it before.
A “defending race winner” is the driver who won the previous year’s race and is returning to try to win again. In motorsport, that status often comes with extra pressure and heightened expectations from teams, sponsors, and fans.
"And it just makes it very challenging like to rest or to, because there's like one week off between Barbara and Long Beach and you have to do three events to prepare for May..."
Even a short break matters in racing. If you only have a week to rest and get ready, it can be tough to fully recover and prepare the car for the next races.
A short break like “one week off” is significant in racing because it affects how much time the team and driver have for recovery, simulator work, and car preparation. Limited downtime can make it harder to address issues from the previous events before the next ones.
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Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?
Right. And the best part? They accept Discover.
Accept Discover? In a little place like this?
I don't think so, Jennifer.
Oh, yeah, huh. Discover's accepted where I like to shop.
Come on, baby. Get with the times.
Right. So we shouldn't get the parachute pants?
These are making a comeback. I think.
Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.
Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report.
This is off track.
These are more of conversations, right?
Okay. It's not like an interview in the conventional sense.
So that's why we disliked it. We disliked to roll with it.
That's why James and I are both drunk right now.
Both?
Yeah.
And to say one, we played a drinking game.
It was for every minute late that Alex was, we did a shot.
Which Alex? Me or the other Alex?
No, the other Alex isn't joining us.
This is one of the...
Which is why we did him. We have to do a shot every minute.
Yeah, yeah. That's why we are currently drunk.
He was supposed to be on 10 minutes ago
and we're going to get into a whole half hour episode without any Alex.
It's going to be a day.
It's okay. I can be the other Alex as well.
You're a DD.
So yeah. Well, look, it is off track with Hinch and Alex.
It's just slightly different today, which is great
because Alex Palos here and Alex, I got to say,
Tim and I had a little conversation before you logged on.
I was absolutely sure that you had been on the show in this capacity before.
No.
But apparently we've only ever interviewed you like during May or in person or like not like this.
I was sad.
I was sad because I sometimes listened to the podcast and I was sad that I was never invited.
First of all,
do you just have that much time when you're leading the field?
You're like,
leading by so much and I've already listened to every smart list
and every Rogan and Stern.
So let's let's that's a racing podcast.
We can throw out dinner with racers.
We've been through that.
So yeah, one of ours.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, no, the truth is we thought you were too cool to come on the show.
We thought you were too big a deal and that you wouldn't want to slum it with us
because you're kind of successful.
So now that I didn't win that I didn't win my last three races and.
Correct.
Okay.
No.
Okay.
Because Connor gets dibs on the on whoever wins.
So you he pretty much had dibs on you.
That's true.
The last four seasons.
Right.
Yes.
For four to last five years.
We don't like we just want Connors, you know, leftovers.
So I mean, so you were simming today before you came to see us and are you allowed to tell us
where you were simming for?
Yeah, yeah.
I was simming at the bar break.
Yeah.
Okay.
So I have a question for you because I had this once me and Ryan Hunter Ray, old, old, old, old driver.
You might you you've may have run into him, but he's from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way back.
He and I had this thing once where when we were going to.
And granted this was to a new track.
We went to a new track on the sim before we went there and when we went there to go do the test before the race.
Everything in the sim was wrong and it took us half a day to unlearn everything that we did on the sim.
And so from then on, I kind of had this philosophy where I always wanted to be one race ahead in the sim.
Oh, really?
I never wanted to go from the sim to that track.
I feel like I'd be doing Long Beach before Barber and I've done Barber before Arlington.
You know, I cannot do that.
I cannot do that.
Yeah.
I hate you've got to be.
I feel like it's it's very easy for me to just know that the same is the same and the way you drive it and the way the track is and how you need to take the corners to then go to the real track and the real car and drive it differently.
But I I've done it in the past of like doing now Long Beach like two races ahead, but I cannot do that.
Like I hate that.
I hate it.
Really?
Yes.
Well, yeah, you're able to delineate that, which is why you're much better than me and have had so much more success.
That's that's that's where it all went wrong for me, Tim.
That's where also, I mean, if we're just if we're piling on, he does he looks better than you too.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
I got an accent.
Yeah.
He makes a mean latte, which Becky would love, you know, so I'm just better.
You're just I don't want to say it, but it's good that you know, it's for other people to say mainly me.
Thank you.
Yeah.
And I will.
Yeah.
I do tell James that every day.
I'm going to claim the beard, though.
I feel like I can outbeard you a hundred percent.
Yes.
Okay.
All right.
This is like a week and I'm trying hard.
No, I'm joking.
It's like a day, but it's it's really like a full day.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Same.
I feel your pain, man.
All my hair goes up here.
Yeah.
That's not a terrible thing though, Tim.
That's going to serve you well in the long run.
Alex, you're fresh off of Sebring.
Yeah.
Sixth place finish at Sebring, probably not what you guys were hoping for, but how was
your how was your 12 hours?
It was tough.
Very tough.
It's a track.
It's a tough track.
Like it's it's not easy.
Then being the third driver, like not knowing much the car.
I mean, I know it.
I've been like two years already with this car, but it's just like it's not my everyday car.
Right.
And then during practice, like you're sharing with Renger and Nick, and they are obviously
the priority, right?
It's their car.
They need to set it up the way they want to race.
And I'm just there to try and help.
So then I did like, I don't know, 20 laps during practice, which is like trying to
figure out the traffic and this car and every on the track and everything.
And then straight to a race.
So yeah, it was quite challenging.
Then we during the race, we were running.
Okay.
I think I was running third or fourth.
Like we're quite good.
The Porsches were on another leak, but had a couple issues on the pit stops and finish
six.
So not ideal, but it's it's good to change.
I love to change to struggle on different areas than than in IndyCar learn a lot.
And hopefully one day I'll be able to win an instant race.
Like I've been trying for the past four or five years.
I've never won an IMSA race.
Oh yeah.
Four or five years, huh?
That's cute.
I've been trying for like 14 years to win one of these things.
You've never won like any IMSA?
Because I for the longest time, I only did Daytona and then it was only the last two
years.
So 24 and 25, I did Daytona, Sebring and petite.
Okay.
This year's back to just Daytona.
So it's been a long time.
It's not been a lot of races, but it's been a long time.
Even I had took a couple of Daytona's off even in there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, dude, trust me, I'm it's hard.
It's so hard.
It's so hard, man.
It's so hard.
Every race is like 1,500.
So yeah.
So I know that you are one of the most prepared guys when you show up to a racetrack, right?
Like I know this about you.
I've witnessed it.
I've heard it from other people.
It's a huge key to your success.
And, and I feel this way when I get into these sports car races as the third guy, right?
When you're the bonus driver, there are times where you feel just like your level of preparedness
is so much lower than what you were used to in your, in your like day job.
Oh, no.
Do you hate that?
Or do you, do you kind of like that?
There's a challenge of like, I don't know what I don't know, but I'm just going to go
figure this out in the race.
I'm like in between.
I have a side of me that, that loves it and a side of me that hates it completely.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I can see the side of you that like loves being prepared, just be like, I don't want to do
this now.
Yeah.
I only got 19 laps in practice.
I'm out.
I'm not even going to do it.
This practice, like this past weekend at Searing, like I was in practice one and I'm just trying
to figure it out.
The bombs in one, 17, after five laps, I was, let's say already around the lap times, like
not saying the fastest.
I'm saying around an okay lap time that you wouldn't suck on TV.
And then suddenly they call me to do a setup change and I started crying.
I was like, no, no, like just leave me alone.
And after two more laps of me crying on the radio saying that I didn't want to pit, they
said, Alex, you need to pit.
I was like, but anyway, yeah, it's tough.
It's very tough.
But as I said, I, I feel like it's, it's good to be the bonus guys sometimes and, and not
to be able to be as prepared at the end of the day.
My job there is to do the best I can to, to help Ranger and Nick.
Like that's, that's my job and my job is not to qualify or to finish the race or to
start it.
So, um, yeah, it's good fun.
It's good fun though.
Do you think that there's an element of like, when you, when you are doing kind of
so much learning in the race and you're in this mindset, cause you're right,
you're, you're the bonus guy.
Your job is to deliver the car back in as good or better condition than you got it.
Hopefully in the same position or better than you got it.
And that's kind of it.
You're, you're almost just like a, you're like the intermission for the, the,
the other drivers, right?
But when you have that mindset, cause there are times in an Indy car race, right?
Indy car races are, are long in their own right, especially when you start talking
about like the 500 and in Indy car races, there are stints where you have to kind
of have that mentality.
And do you find that getting forced to do that in the sports car world or maybe,
maybe that being your job, like your real goal in the sports car world, nine times
out of 10, do you think it helps you when you're in those stints in an Indy car
race, where you have to be like, all right, this stint isn't about moving to the
front. This one's about taking care of the car, the tires, myself, and we're
going to fight at the end.
Um, no, not really.
It's too different because when I'm on the IMSA car, like I, I know what my job
is, but then I get in the car and I'm like, man, I need to overtake this car.
Like I, I really need to, and I'm like, Alex, don't do it, don't do it.
Oh, I did it.
And then I'm banging doors and I'm like, Alex, no.
Like I had that in Siebring with a BMW, I was like, Alex, just come down.
But, um, it's hard.
It's hard to go both ways.
It's hard to go to the IMSA and become, and it's hard to go then to the Indy car
and be like, okay, now, like you need to go for it.
Like you, who cares about banging wheels and all that stuff.
But I, I would say that, um, what it, it makes me, uh, be a better driver in my
opinion is the traffic.
Just like the traffic management, how you prepare when, when there's
GTs or LMPs or how do you overtake them as well?
Like the, the fact of having to change your driving style every single
corner, I feel like that helps a ton.
And well, I'm sure you, you, you've been through the same.
Like it's just so challenging to break on the inside, break on the outside,
like break at your, uh, perfect breaking spot or break like so early.
Like it just makes it super, um, I think it's like a learning curve that
never stops, uh, in the IMSA world.
And it, it, it kind of exercises that muscle in the brain where, you know,
racing's all about quick decisions, right?
It's about making these instant, instantaneous reactions to whatever's
happening in front of you.
I feel like when you're in sports car racing, you have so many more of those
per lap that like your brain's just getting more reps in making good
decisions, high percentage moves, things like that.
When you're in that sort of situation.
Yeah.
All right.
Let's, let's, let's get into any car.
Seeing as how you, we've brought it up now.
Let's get into it.
I mean, congrats on say Pete.
Obviously that was about as good as it gets picked up where you left off,
but you went all the time.
So we're going to skip that.
We're going to go ahead to Phoenix, uh, because in Phoenix, something that
doesn't happen very often happened and just kind of want to get your, your take
on the incident and how, how, I'll kind of want to know.
Like how your race was going.
It's fairly early in the race has maybe a little bit to tell, but I mean,
like, how are you feeling on the day?
Where do you, what do you think a realistic, you know, goal was for the day,
but then also just kind of walk us through the incident itself and, uh, and, you
know, again, a DNF for Alex Polo, that's like, that's headline winning races is
almost like the subtitle now for you.
It's like, you know, this race with St.
Pete record attendance, Alex Polo one, right?
But now it's like, oh my God, Alex Polo had a DNF.
This never happens.
Walks through.
Um, it was tough.
It was tough.
It was a tough weekend.
Um, like the cars were not feeling as what we tested like a couple of weeks
before the Phoenix race, that was for everybody.
It was not only CGR, like I talking to everybody, like everybody just felt
like the car was way better or way worse or just the same, but on a different
way when we were racing, uh, we qualified 10th and I was like, okay,
let's see how the start goes.
That we want to be aggressive, but not overly aggressive, but I found myself
very comfortable on the, let's say second lane or one and a half.
And, uh, I think we're riding P four, P five, something like that.
Then there was a yellow and, um, I, I, I had the bad momentum out of, uh, the
restart, uh, got overtaken by Rahel and I was fighting with Rahel, uh,
Renus and I don't remember who else was there, but there was like three or four
cars and out of four, um, my spotter Lee, he's been the same spotter since 2021.
And he said, Hey, Renus outside and, uh, and then suddenly I was on the wall.
So he did the right call.
Um, I, I thought that there was enough space.
I didn't understand that he was outside and you know, like out of four,
you're on the throttle, you're fighting, you're understeering.
And I just went a little bit up and Renus was just there.
So I spoke to Renus, like I apologize because I think it was, uh, uh, it was
a racing incident in my opinion.
Like it was, both of us could have, uh, backed out a little bit.
It's not like he was side by side.
He just like clipped me a little bit.
And I think like he could have avoided when he saw that I was coming up either
because I'm a bad driver and don't want to give him space or because I
genuinely didn't know that he was there.
So, um, anyway, I, I thought it was, it was a big, uh, mistake by my side,
but, um, nothing you can do.
Like it goes so fast.
Like you get overtaken, you understeer, you go on the power and suddenly
you're on the wall.
Like it's not that it's a conscious crash of like, Oh, I'm going to risk it.
I'm going to risk it.
It didn't work.
Yeah.
You weren't trying to force the issue.
You weren't trying to like crowd him and make him back off.
No, I didn't even know he was there.
Like, uh, and it was not, again, it was not because of the spotter.
There was a lot of people saying, Oh, for sure.
The spotter didn't tell Alex.
No, he did tell like he, it was me.
It was a hundred percent me.
I think the thing that people sometimes forget is like the spotter is, you
know, an amazing asset, right?
It's such an important part of overracing an Indy car.
But in those scenarios, especially on a restart, there is so much
happening and you're, you know, you're, you're passing, you're getting passed.
The car feels terrible because you're in so much dirty air.
You're fighting in imbalances.
All these things happening that like sometimes this moderate could tell you a
lot of things that you just don't have the capacity to pick up because you're
just trying to save your life.
Like nowadays we have the, that we have the hybrid and then you, you're
getting past and you're fighting with somebody on the inside, on the outside,
and you're understeering, but at the same time, it's so early in both the
race and the corner that you're not really paying too much attention.
Like you're, you're just trying to survive.
You're like, okay, I need to get a good run.
Otherwise you'll get overtaken by 10 cars and you don't want to do that.
So, um, the spotter could be on your ear saying like outside, outside, but maybe
your brain is just trying to get the car to feel stable.
That's it.
Like that's the first issue that you want to solve.
But, um, yeah, that was my race.
That's it.
Where, where did I think that we were going to be?
I have no idea.
I thought we were going to be fighting for like a top six, top seven, maybe
a top three, we were lucky.
We did not have a car or a car driver.
Like I was not comfortable with a car to, to be like top three fighting for it.
I was not like, uh, Joseph for, uh, Rasmussen or power.
Like I, I was more of like, okay, we're going to be up there because we were fast,
but we're not going to be like top three fighting.
Fair enough.
I know that, I know that you're, you're a humble guy.
You're not a guy that does this for records, but you're a competitor too.
Right.
I can't remember speaking to you last year when the idea of like 10 wins was,
was on the cards, was very on the cards.
And then when it kind of looked like that wasn't going to happen, you were like,
Hey, look, we won eight races.
Like I'm not mad at this season.
Oh man, 10 would have been fun.
When it, you know, like, yeah, there's still that little, you led the championship
for 620 something days, right?
Not a record, maybe, I don't know, but like very impressive.
And like a hard thing to do, right?
Post, uh, Phoenix, you're not the championship leader for the first
time in, in over two years or, you know, two years ish.
And I just, I have to know because like, look, man, yes, you're not leading
the championship right now, but Alex, if the races you finished, and we just
got off a production call with Fox and everyone's talking about, oh,
we got Kirkwood leading like this and this.
And I'm like, guys, he's only finished two races of the two he's finished.
He's been first and second.
Nothing's changed, right?
This is still Alex Palo's world.
We're just living in it.
Okay.
So let's say like, let's say you take the lead back in Barber track, you
know, well, track, you've won at before.
And, and that clock has to restart.
Are you a little bit annoyed that there's this tiny little gap in that
consecutive days leading the championship streak?
Absolutely not.
Because I didn't even know until somebody said it in.
Before San Pied, I, I think somebody said something before San Pied and I was
like, well, we're going to lose it.
Like there's super high chances of not winning San Pied.
Like, I mean, the, it, everybody starts from zero.
So, um, obviously, yeah, when you talk about it, would it be nice to
have like more days?
Yes.
But honestly, I did, that was not something I had in my mind.
I didn't even know, like it didn't feel that much.
It didn't like 600 days.
It didn't feel like that much.
Like in my brain, even if last year was such a great start, I was not comfortable
looking back now, I would be, I would love to be in that position and I would
be like, Oh, I'm going to chill out.
But when you're in that position, you're not chilling out.
You're just like, man, we need to keep on going because somebody else is going
to fight with us.
So, um, I will do my best to get it back at Barber.
I, I, I think, uh, Kirkwood is in a good position.
They've been so fast everywhere.
They've been, and last year he remembered the start of a season he had until he
had a couple of bad races, but, um, uh, it's tough, man, it's tough.
I, I, I don't agree with you that it's, it's still the same.
Like I feel last year was incredible, was magic.
And, and I was very proud, but that's it.
It was 2025.
And, uh, these, these years it's, it's going to be tough.
I'm, I'm happy with the start we had so far.
Like, as you said, two races that we finished and first and second, but you
could say the same for Kirkwood.
Like you, you finished top four in the first, uh, three races, right?
Or top three or four.
Yeah.
So, yeah, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm trying, I'm trying.
And, and Barber, I know that it's going to be tough as well.
Andretti's been really hard there.
Um, I would say McLaughlin has been really, really strong in the past.
And you never know.
Maybe suddenly there's, there's, uh, somebody you don't expect, uh, or maybe
we went again.
Who knows?
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